The Life of Faith in Times of Trial and Affliction, Consideration 17
CONSIDERATION XVII. The Lord Reigneth in Zion.
BEleevers are not like unto the Subjects of Kings, here on earth, who may be dethroned, and their Crowns may fall from their Heads, and the Scepters be taken out of their hands, and they may lose all the Ensignes of Royalty; and when it falleth out so (as is done many a time) Subjects have but cold Comfort, in looking to the Throne, when it hath forsaken him, that sat thereon. But Beleevers have a King, who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever, and whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom. It cannot then but be strange, that when Men, who have all their temporal happiness hanging upon the standing of Kings of Clay, can rejoyce in adversity, when they have any hope of their King's recovering of his lost Throne and Kingdome, though the grounds of their Hop be most disputable and uncertaine; that the Children of God, in the day of their Adversity, can draw so little Comfort from the sure and certaine Grounds of Hope, which they have to look to. If Christs Crown and Throne were not surer, than the fading and perishing Regalia of Men, what would beleevers do? Whither could they go for consolation, in the day of their Distress and Anguish? But now, seing their King is not like the Kings of the Earth, why are they so heartless, in the day of their extremity? Sure, the Reason must be, because they beleeve not, that He is such a King, as He is indeed; or they know not how to improve, to any spiritual Advantage, such a noble Ground of Consolation, as this is. Wherefore it may be useful to speak a little unto this: And so we shall first lay down some Propositions, clearing up this Truth, and next some Conclusions, pointing out the improvement, that may be made thereof.
First, As for the Propositions, take these following,
1. The Lord standeth under the Relation of a King to His Church and People; He hath taken to himself that Name and Title: and accordingly we finde them eyeing this, in the day of their Distress; So David Psal. 5: vers. 2. and 84: v. 2. embraceth Him, crying, My King and my God: and he comforteth himself with this Ps. 10. v. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever. And the Church crieth out Psal. 74: v. 2. God is my King of old: and comforteth herself with this Esai. 33: v. 22. The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King, He will save us. So doth the Lord make a sweet promise of this, for the Comfort of His people, Hos. 13: v. 10. I will be thy King. Whereby we see, that there is such a relation betwixt God and His People, that will yeeld Comfort, in an evil day.
2. He is not a King that is far off; but is neer at hand, in the midst of His Kingdome and People: And this is also comfortable: Kingdomes may have a King, and yet be little the better of Him; he may be far away, and unable to help them, in the day of their greatest necessity; But it is not so with Zions King, He is alwayes at hand, in the middest of His People: He is established King in Zion. Psal. 2: v. 6. Yet I have set my King (saith the Father of His Son, the Mediator) upon my holy hill Zion. His whole Kingdome is, as it were, his Throne, and there He sitteth, as King on his Throne; and He is placed and fixed there by a sure and unchangable Decree. That question of Ieremiah Chap. 8: v. 19. putteth the matter out of question, Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not her King in her? So Ps. 99: 2. The Lord is great in Zion. Zions King then is a great King, in the midst of her.
3. Zions King is a King actually reigning upon His Throne, and exercising His Kingly Office; not like a King, imprisoned, or put out of a capacity of helping, or releiving his distressed Subjects; for He reigneth Psal. 93: v. 1. and 97: 1. and 99: v. 1. It is the bringing of good tidings, the publishing of Peace, the bringing of good tidings of good, the publishing of Salvation, to say unto Zion, Thy God reigneth Esai. 52: v. 7. Zions King is not a King outted and dethroned; but actually reigning and sweying His Scepter, exerceing His Kingly Office and Government.
4. Zions King is an everlasting King, He shall reigne for ever and ever: He cannot be dethroned, He must reigne until all His Enemies be made His footstool 1 Cor. 15: v. 25. for He is settled on His throne by an everlasting and unchangable decree Ps. 2: v. 6, 7. And therefore He is called the King eternal 1 Tim. 1: 17. That is a sweet and comfortable Word of Promise Ps. 146: v. 10. The Lord shall reigne for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Micah 4: 7. And the Lord shall reigne over them, in mount Zion, from hence forth, even for ever. Psal. 10: v. 6. The Lord is King for ever and ever. And Psal. 45: 6. Thy Throne, ô God, is for ever & ever. Ier. 10: 10. The Lord—is an everlasting King; and so His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdom; for it is said Luk. 1: 33. He shall reigne over the House of Iacob for ever, and of His Kingdome there shall be no end. So Revel. 11: 15. And the Seventh Angel sounded, and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, the Kingdomes of this world, are become the Kingdomes of the Lord, and of his Christ; and He shall reigne for ever and ever.
5. Not onelyonly doth this King reigne in the midst of Zion, His Kingdome and Throne; but He ruleth in the midst of His Enemies Psal. 110: 2. This is advantagious and comfortable; For He can reach them a blow, when He will: And all their Consultations, and Cabinet Counsels, are well known to Him; He ruleth in the midst of them, and over-ruleth all their Plots and Actions, as He seeth good; & is working out His own holy ends and designes by what they are doing: Hence it followeth ver. 5, 6. That He shall strike thorow Kings, in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the Heathen: He shall fill the places with the dead bodies; He shall wound the heads over many Countries. Other Kings must make use of Spies and Intelligencers, to know the purposes and motions of their Enemies; and after all their paines remaine ignorant; or if they come to some knowledge thereof, be unable to prevent the mischiefe designed: But this King ruleth, as Commander in chiefe, among the very Enemies, though they know it not.
6. This King of Zion, is a mighty and great King, He is excellent in Power & Majesty; and therefore is stiled King of Kings Revel. 17: 14. He is the blessed and only Potentat, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords 1▪ Tim. 6: 15. He hath on His thigh and on his Vesture, a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords Revel. 19: 16. And therefore by Him Princes rule, and all the Iudges of the earth vers. 16. He is a King therefore endued with Supream Power and Authority, higher than the Kings of the earth, whose petty Soveraignity is as nothing compared with His.
7. As He is a Mighty and Powerful King; so is He a Righteous and just King. He shall reigne in righteousness. Esai. 32: 1. The scepter of His Kingdome is a right scepter Psal. 45: 6. He loveth righteousness, and hateth wickedness vers 7. just and true are all His wayes, who is King of Saints Revel, 15: 3. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne Psal. 97: 2. Yea the King's strength loveth judgment, He establisheth equity, He executeth judgment and equity in Iacob Psal. 99: 4. His strength and Power needeth not be terrible unto his Subjects, for His throne is a throne of judgement, and His scepter is a scepter of Righteousness: All His Regalia have this engraven on them, to the great comfort of His Subjects.
8. He is a King, that is clothed with Majestie and Terrour; and so is able to affright and strike terrour in the heart of the greatest & proudest Adversaries The Lord reigneth, and He is clothed with Majesty Psal 93: 1. This mighty one girdeth His sword on His thigh, marcheth with Glory and Majesty, and in Majesty he rideth prosperously Psal 45: 3, 4, 5. The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all people, and His name is great and terrible. Psal. 99: 2, 3. Clouds and darkness are round about Him, a fire goeth before Him, His lightnings enlightned the world, the earth saw and trembled, the hils melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth Psal. 97: vers 2, 3, 4, 5. What Enemie then is able to withstand, or resist this Potentat.
9. He is a King thorowly fournished with all Enduements and necessarie Qualifications for the Exercise of this His Government. Grace is poured into his lips, and He is anoynted with the oile of gladness above His fellowes Psal. 45: 2, 7. In Him are hid all the treasurers of wisdom and knowledge; yea in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2: 3, 9. He is then a Compleet King, fully able to administrate this Kingly Office, and to performe all Acts belonging thereunto, in truth and faithfulness, and in due season.
10. As he is a King terrible unto the Kings of the earth Psal. 76: 12. and is clothed with Majestie and Power; so is He a King, that is meek and lowlie: Even when he rideth in Majestie, it is upon truth and meekness, as the words may be rendered Psal. 45: 4. When He rideth in state, it is upon Meekness. He is a King that cometh—having Salvation, lowlie and rideing upon an Asse, and upon a colt tho fole of an asse Zech. 9: 9. Mat. 21: vers 5. Though He be the terriblest King, that ever was, unto Enemies and Rebels; yet He is all meekness unto his own.
11. This King, who sitteth and ruleth upon His throne, is a Priest upon His throne Zech. 6: 12, 13.—Behold, the man, whose name is the Branch, and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the Temple of the Lord; even He shall build the Temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne, and He shall be a Priest upon his Thron; and the Counsel of peace shall be betwixt them both: Such a King is He, that will not destroy His followers, notwithstanding of their sins and rebellions, but will rather make an attonement for them, lay down His life for them, and become an Intercessour on their behalfe.
12. He is an ancient King. His throne is established of old; and He is from everlasting Psal. 93: 2. The goings forth of this Ruler of Israel have been of old from everlasting Micah. 5: 2. And thus His throne is from everlasting to everlasting.
13. This King of Zion hath Dominion over all the earth, over hell & over death. Angels and Authorities and Powers are made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3: vers 22. He hath them all under his command and Authority, that He may dispose and make use of them, as He seeth fit. By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, Visible and Invisible, whether they be Thrones or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, all things were created by Him and for Him Col. 1: 16. God hath put all things under His feet, and hath given Him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes. 1: 22. He is King of all the earth, and He reigneth over the Heathen Psal. 47: 7, 8. All Power in Heathen and in Earth is given unto Him Mat. 28: 18.
14. He is a King that rideth prosperously Psal. 45: 4. The work He undertaketh doth not misgive in His hand, nothing miscarrieth, or can miscarry, which He undertaketh. He is the happiest sweyer of a scepter, that ever was. His purposes fail not; He is not disappointed of his Projects or Designes; all of them succeed well in His hand. The pleasure of the Lord shall Prosper in His hand. Esai 53: 10.
Secondly, From these Comfortable Propositions, let us draw some comfortable Conclusions.
1. The Church and People of God are not an headless, helpless Company, as many take them to be. They have an Head, and a living head, though Strangers and On-lookers do not observe it, nor beleeve it. The world, and the men of the world, look upon them, as a contemptible Company; yet they have a King reigneing over them, and a King that shall reigne for ever and ever. They themselves are oft times perplexed and distressed in minde, when they see not one great Person owning them and their Interest, and offering himself to be an head unto them; but if they knew, what anone they had for their Head, Husband and King, they would not be much troubled, though not one great Person in all the earth should owne them and theirCause: So that when all earthly Powers forsake them, and withdraw their helping hand, this may comfort them, That there is a standing relation betwixt Christ and them, as is betwixt a King and his Subjects, and this relation neither is, nor can be broken off.
2. Let devils & men do what they can, they shall not be able to destroy and root out the People of God. They may intend to destroy, & to cut them off from being a Nation, that the name of Israel may be no more made mention of; and may make a strong combination for this end, as Psal. 84: vers 4. But this their Interprise is vaine, they will never be able to effectuate what they designe. Seing He is a King, that reigneth on his Throne, He must have a Kingdom and a People, whom He must governe, and over whom He must swey His scepter. So that whoever would resolve to destroy His Kingdom, must first think of making Him no King; take away His Kingdom, and take away His Scepter too; Himself must be dethroned, ere He have no Kingdome. Enemies then may attempt great things, and promise to themselves great success; but in end, they will prove themselves to be fooles; for He must reigne for ever and ever, and His Kingdom must be to all Generations. He shall reigne for ever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. Luk. 1: vers 33. His people then may be at peace, though they know what great things their Enemies designe against them, and that their cruelty and rage is such, as nothing but their utter overthrow and destruction will satisfie; seing it is all one, as if they should presume to pull God from His throne. Let the Devil, and his trustee Livetenant, Antichrist, conspire, and use what Machinations and bloody Devices they will, to destroy the whole Interest of Christ; He must not want Subjects, He shall not want a Kingdom, so long as Sun and Moon endure: Howbeit the people of God may be several times brought very low; yea and almost out of sight, as a Woman fled to the wilderness; yet this exalted King, who is set upon His throne, by an everlasting Decree, must have a Kingdom, & shall have a Kingdom, over which to swey His Scepter.
3. Yea Christ's Kingdom must be a coming and a growing Kingdom Luk. 1: vers 32. He must be great, and have the throne of His Father David: Many excellent promises have we of this: Micah. 4: 1, 2, 3. But in the last daies, it shall come to passe, that the mountaine of the house of the Lord, shall be established on the tope of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hils, and people shall flow unto it, and many Nations shall come—and He shall judge among the people. So Esai. 2: 2, 3, 4. Rev. 11. vers 15. And the seventh Angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the Kingdomes of this world, are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reigne for ever & ever. We are taught to pray daily, Let thy Kingdom come. Our Lord shall be great to the ends of the earth Micah. 5: 4.
4. Wherefore, Let Enemies do what they can, His Church shall not get much hurt: For so long as He is in the midst of her, she cannot be moved, though the earth be removed, and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar, and be troubled, though Mountains shake with the swellings thereof. Psal. 46: 5. It is promised Mic. 4: 7. That the Lord shall reigne over them, in mount Zion; and what followeth? And thou, ô Toure of the Flock (vers. 8.) the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first Dominion, the Kingdome shall come to the Daughter of Ierusalem.
5. Though it frequently come to passe, that God's people are brought low, and Enemies get the upper hand; yet Zion's King liveth; and therefore He will Assemble her, that halteth, and will gather her, that is driven out, and her that have been afflicted; and make her that halteth a remnant, & her that was cast off a strong Nation Mica. 4: 6, 7. Because He liveth, His members must live also. Seing the Churches Head is above the water, she cannot drown. Wherefore, upon this very ground, that Zions King liveth and reigneth, His Church and People, even while low and under the feet of Enemies, may lift up their head in hop, and be sure that their day of redemption draweth neer; and they may conclude with the Church Esai. 33: 22. The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our King: He will save us. Seing He is King, He can command deliverance Psal. 44. 4. and work Salvation Psal. 74: 12. Upon this ground, David inferreth a Delivery and a Victory Psal. 10: v. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever, the heathen are perished out of his land. Enemies will not be able to stand long in Immanuel's Land. It is His work, as King, to deliver and defend His Subjects; and they may be sure, He will not deny Himself, He will answere …is Title and Relation.
6. When His people see, that all their Strength is gone, and that there is none shut up or left, they are ready to conclude, that all is gone: But what, cannot this King in Zion soon leavy an Army? How easie is it for Him, to speak to dry bones, and make them armed men Ezek. 37. When mention was made of this Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth were from of old, and who should stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord His God Micah. 5: 4. It is added, This man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our Land, and when he shall trade in our Palaces; then shall we raise against him Seven shepherds and eight Principal men, and they shall waste the Land of Assyria with the sword, and the Land of Nimrod, in the entrance thereof. Thus shall He deliver us, from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our Land, and treadeth within our borders. And the remnant of Iacob shall be among the Gentils, in the midst of many people, as a Lion among the beasts of the forest, as the young Lion among the Flocks of sheep—Thine hand shall be lift up upon thine Adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off vers. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. When His people are brought very low, so that, in all probability, they shall not be able to raise up themselves; then this King can help the business, He can raise up an invincible army, out of lame sick souldiers. He can make Ierusalem a cup of trembling, and a burdensome stone; for all people Zech. 12: 2, 3. He can make the Governours of Iudah like on hearth of fire among the wood, and like a toarch of fire in a sheaf, and they shall devoure all the people round about, on the right hand & on the left ver. 5. He can make Him, that is feeble among them, like David, and the house of David, as God, as an Angel of the Lord before them v. 8. Out of Him cometh the corner, out of Him cometh the nail, out of him the battel bow—and He can make them to be as mighty men, which tread down, as the mire of the street, in the battel; and He can strengthen the house of Iudah. Zech 10: 4, 5, 6. He can bend Iudah for himself, and fill the bow with Ephraim, & raise up Zions sones against their Enemies Zech. 9: 13: He can make poor worm Iacob, a new sharp threshing Instrument having teeth; and say to them, thou shalt thresh the mountains; and beat them small, and shall make the hils as chaff &c. Esai. 41: 14, 15.
7. This Consideration speaketh dread and terrour unto Enemies; for He is a King, that is terrible to the Kings of the earth. He maketh the Earth, and the heavens to tremble, the hils melt and quake before him; & what then can weak man do? What will they be, in the hands of the Almighty, who shaketh Nations? The Lord reigneth, Let the earth tremble, He sitteth between the Cherubims, Let the earth be moved Psal. 99: 1. At the wrath of this everlasting King, the earth shall tremble; and the Nations shall not be able to abide his Indignation Ier. 10: 10. Where then shall His Enemies stand, in the day of His Indignation? We are oft afraid of the terrour of Enemies, but saw we Him, who is our King, we would see, that our Enemies had more cause to be afraid of Him, who is clothed with Majestie: there goeth a smoak out of his nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoureth and coals are kindled by it Psal. 18: vers. 8. Read what followeth.
8. When we are thinking on the Wit, Skil and Activity, of the Adversaries, let us call to mind, that our King is infinitly beyond them, He searcheth the heart and tryeth the reines; He knoweth the thoughts afar off: He is privie to all the motions of Adversaries; He knoweth when they march, and when and where they halt Esai. 10: 28, 29. See what is said of our King Esai. 11: 2, 3. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom & Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and of the Fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding, in the fear of the Lord. Though the Adversaries should soon out-wit us; yet they will not be able to out-wit Him, who is our King; for the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge are in Him: So that it is an easie business for Him, to countermine all their Plots and Machinations. He hath formed all their hearts, and so He knoweth what is in their hearts. Nothing can be hid from Him, His very eye-lids try the Children of Men Psal. 11: 4. Wherefore, when we are at a non-plus, and know not what to do, this may comfort us, and compose our Spirits, our King knoweth very well, how to carry on his own Contrivances, & glorious Projects: So that when we are blinde, we are to look to Him, who knoweth what to do, when we know not what to do; and let Him alone with His own work.
9. It is sad, when the Children of God are wronged, and cannot get faire Justice: wickedness is to be seen in the place of judgment, and iniquity in the place of righteousness Eccles. 3: v. 16. judgment is turned away backward, and Justice standeth afar off, for truth is fallen in the streat, and equity cannot enter; yea truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey Esai. 59: v. 14, 15. But here is comfort against this, that Zions King reigneth, who is just, and a King that reigneth in righteousness. He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his eares, but with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity, for the meek of the earth—and righteousness shall be the girdle of His loines, and faithfulness the girdle of His reines Esai. 11: 3, 4, 5. His people then need not fear, seing there is Justice to be had at His bar.
10. The Children of God are much fainted and discouraged, when second meanes are out of sight, they see not horses, nor horsmen, to appear in the fields for them; but a right sight of this Truth would prove helpful and encouraging in this case: Did they but by faith see, that Zions King were reigning on His Throne, and actually sweying His Scepter, they would easily conclude, that all would be well; for this King would either work without meanes (as sometime He doth) or creat meanes for His own use: A wight man (we say) never wanted weapons; and shall our King be straitned for want of meanes? Could Sampson, without either Sword or Spear, only with what came next to his hand, the Jaw-bone of an asse, slay so many? And need we fear, that our King shall want Instruments, when He mindeth to work by Instruments? Omnipotency cannot want hands: Any of all the Creatures is sufficient in His hand; with vermine He made an end of proud Herod. If He but speak the word, He will therewith command deliverance: So that we need not fear, though the fig tree should not blossome, and though we should see nothing but dry bones, and dry bones scattered about the graves mouth, so long as this King liveth and reigneth, unto whom belong the shields of the Earth, Ps. 47: v. last.
11. The Lords reigning in Zion may assure us, that there are great and rich offfallings to be had. Courtiers fear not want, so long as the King possesseth His Throne, yea they dar adventure to take on Luck's head (as we say) and why may not the Lords people also rejoice on Lucks head, seing their King shall never be dethroned? It is said Esai. 32: vers. 1. that a King shall reigne in righteousness. And what is to follow thereupon? See vers. 2, 3. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the winde, and a covert from the Tempest, as Rivers of water, in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land, and the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the eares of them that hear shall hearken.
12. This Consideration may fill the souls of his People with Joy and Consolation, however matters go with them, were they never so low, were Enemies never so high, were the case of the people of God never so desperat like: That Zions King liveth and reigneth, is the most encouraging newes, that can be, The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, and let the multitude of the Isles be glade thereat Psal. 97: 1. There is Joy and gladness here sowen for all the upright in heart. Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not her King in her? Said Ieremie Chap. 8: 19. It is a shame, that Beleevers should any way carry themselves so as On-lookers might have ground to think, that Zions King were not in her, or that they themselves did not beleeve, that Zions King indeed were reigning.